Turning a Home Improvement Project into a Family Affair
If you are planning a new home improvement project it might be worth considering how to make this a family affair. Not only will you get some extra help but some projects, especially things such as decorating, can be fun and educational even. You might also consider asking your friends to help. This can often turn into a party type affair, especially if you provide good food and drink as an incentive.
One of my favourite home improvement parties was at the first home I ever bought. I was in my early twenties and the house I had purchased had a back garden that was completely overgrown. I invited some friends around and we spent the day outside clearing the weeds and enjoying the sunshine together. When it got to lunch time I didn’t even have to provide any food as my neighbours suddenly appeared with a delicious home-made feast they had cooked to welcome us with. It was the start of many happy years in that particular property.
When you’re considering a Home improvement project don’t exclude people on the basis that they won’t be able to join in. Most jobs require small details that can be completed by anyone, old or young, male or female. It just takes a bit of planning. Even young children can help by carrying things back and forth between the adults or by adding some paint to a wall.
Apart from family fun another advantage of doing it yourself, of course, is the reduced cost. However, this needs to be weighed against the extra time that a large project will take. And sometimes you simply won’t have the expertise. Remember home improvements can be anything from a simple paint job to a full blown electrical rewiring.
Whether you decide to do it yourself or to get in the professionals the bigger jobs, especially, will require careful planning. Often, if you’re planning on replacing a kitchen or a bathroom, for example, it might be a good idea to have children stay with relatives or friends while the main work is being carried out.
Think about how long the project will take and then add extra time as these things invariably run over. If you’re doing the work yourself make sure you have a few days to get the work done. There’s nothing worth (although it is all too common) of having unfinished jobs left incomplete for years.
Connected to this is to resist the temptation to start a new job before the first one is finished. This is very common among DIYers and often results in anything but “home improvements”! Remember, home improvement projects ought not be “work” that gets you down. Rather, it should be something to enjoy and savour for all the family. Good planning will go along way towards this.
Brief Note:
The content on this site was originally about the 2007 Komen Race for the Cure® but, as I have explained previously, this information has now found a new home. Improvements have been made to the The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation - Northeast Ohio site which is now located at http://www.komenneohio.org.